n today’s episode, we’re joined by Corinna Barrett Lain, a law professor and the author of Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. With meticulous research and unflinching clarity, she exposes the hidden history of how lethal injection became the preferred method of execution in the U.S.—and how it’s far more troubling, untested, and violent than the public has been led to believe.

Together, we explore the myths that mask this method as “humane,” the legal loopholes that protect its secrecy, and the moral reckoning Americans must confront. This is a conversation about truth, justice, and the machinery of death.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Theresa Callaghan, skincare scientist of 35 years and author of Help! I’m Covered in Adjectives: Cosmetic Claims & The Consumer. With wit, science, and decades of industry experience, Dr. Callaghan helps us unpack the seductive language of the beauty industry—revealing how terms like “clinically proven” and “anti-aging” are often more about persuasion than proof.

From scientific credibility to regulatory blind spots, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone who buys (or sells) cosmetics, including men.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Claudia Rowe, award-winning journalist and author of Wards of the State, a searing, meticulously researched account of the U.S. foster care system.

Over the course of a century, America’s foster care system has promised protection but often delivered pain. Through deeply human storytelling and journalistic rigor, Claudia exposes the system’s structural failures—and the children caught in its web.

We explore the hidden history of foster care, the emotional and ethical toll of reporting on vulnerable lives, and what real reform might look like. This is an urgent conversation on accountability, visibility, and justice.

In today's episode we speak with author Steve Eichenblatt about his memoir, Pretend They Are Dead.

When Steven's dad, Allen, disappeared, he left behind more than his children-he left a legacy of loss and family secrets. Though working just miles away, Allen gave up his kids for adoption. He was soon replaced by another man, one with his own four children, whose strict rules and explosive temper made home a place of fear rather than refuge.   Steven spent decades wrestling with the wounds of abandonment and abuse, burying his pain so deep it became "the feeling of no feeling." A forced move to Florida, a brutal fist fight, and a grisly car crash pushed Steven to life's edge resulting in a move to Israel, where he discovered that "self-help" meant he would die a failure unless he learned to help himself.   Pretend They Are Deadis a gripping memoir of survival, trauma, and resilience-told with raw honesty, filmic detail, and defiant humor. Steven grew up rejected: Two men claimed to be his father but neither proved to be a dad. Determined not to repeat the past, he becomes an unwavering presence in the lives of his own five children. His story will both shock and inspire.

Jane Fischer joins us for a heartfelt and revealing conversation about her memoir If You Knew Suzy: Pushing Past the Boundaries of Never.

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by A.O. Wagner, author of the intriguing philosophical novel The Karma Sequence.

In this conversation, Wagner opens up about the origins of the book, its exploration of karma, consequence, and human connection, and how fiction can serve as a powerful lens for spiritual and moral reflection. Whether you're drawn to speculative fiction, metaphysical ideas, or stories that challenge your sense of fate and free will, this episode is for you.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Simon Tolkien about his book, The Palace At The End Of The Sea. 

Today, we're honored to welcome novelist and historian Simon Tolkien. Known for his gripping historical fiction and literary craftsmanship, Simon's latest novel, Palace at the End of the Sea, is a sweeping, emotionally layered story with the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. A former barrister turned acclaimed author, Simon brings a unique perspective to themes of loyalty, legacy, coming-of age and the cost of war.

In this episode, we explore his creative process, the real-life history behind the novel, and how he’s forged his own literary path while carrying the legacy of one of the most iconic names in literature.

Matt Crawford speaks with author George Zavershinskiy about his book, The Atomic Shepard. Amid Cold War tensions, a gifted nuclear physicist – poised to become the future father of new weapons – shockingly gains religious faith. Seeking to confess this revelation, he enters the priesthood, finding purpose but facing myriad trials. His startling 1970s conversion from secret Soviet weapon scientist to devout priest elicits incomprehension and suspicion on all sides. Colleagues shun him as studies now intermix seminary training with Siberia’s nuclear work. His transfer to a lowly role with barred access quashes the prestige of high-stakes research. Friends and family largely abandon the zealous convert, except for his steadfast wife and parents. Ostracized yet undaunted, Father Alexander persists in his ecclesiastical calling even unto Chernobyl’s radioactive inferno, ministering to desperate liquidators staring mortality in the face. There, on the fourth block, he was given a nickname – ‘Atomic Shepherd’. Upon returning to Moscow, few of them will reach old age. The ‘Atomic Shepherd’ is the last to leave among his spiritual friends – he still has time to complete his confession.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Christina Li about her debut adult novel, The Manor of Dreams. Vivian Yin is dead. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, the trailblazing ingénue rose to fame in the eighties, only to disappear from the spotlight at the height of her career to live out the rest of her life as a recluse. Now her remaining family members are gathered for the reading of her will, and her daughters expect to inherit their childhood home: Vivian’s grand, sprawling, Southern California garden estate. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead—one that has suddenly returned after decades of estrangement. In hopes of staking their claim, both families move into the mansion. As Vivian’s daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother’s life, disturbing visions and bizarre behaviors start to take hold of everyone in the house, forcing them to realize they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than their regrets. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the painful truth behind the house’s origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there—or will they cling to their secrets until it’s too late? Told in dual timelines, spanning three generations, and brimming with romance, betrayal, ambition, and sacrifice, The Manor of Dreams is a thrilling family gothic that examines the true cost of the American Dream—and what happens when the roots we set down in this country turn to rot.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Judy Karofsky about her book, DisElderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice. The book is a personal account of unmet needs in assisted living and hospice aiming to spark discussions about new approaches for America’s aging population and family decision makers. There are 30 thousand assisted living facilities in the US, but most are unaffordable for middleclass Americans and fraught with staffing deficiencies and mismanagement. Chapters on the author’s experience helping her mother move from an age-restricted community in Florida to independent living in Wisconsin to assisted living will interest seniors and their family members who know the struggle of finding long term affordable care. The chapter on hospice care distinguishes it from assisted living through the author’s experiences and misconceptions, then moves to a broader discussion of Medicare spending, and finally a meditation on dying of old age. The author strikes an effective balance between the personal, political, and cultural aspects of aging. Karofsky dedicates the last chapter of the book to a discussion of recent failures to protect long term care patients during the COVID19 pandemic.